News Details

Report: Illinois' Health and Well-Being Improving

12/22/2015

Illinois is trending in the right direction when it comes to the overall health and well-being of the state’s citizens, compared to the rest of the country. The 2015 America’s Health Rankings report shows Illinois jumped two spots to 28th place.

The good news for Illinois, according to the report, is the state has seen a 30 percent decrease in violent crime over the last 10 years. The state’s infant mortality rate has also dropped considerably – 48 percent since 1990. In the past 10 years, premature deaths have decreased 13 percent as well.

On the other hand, Illinois does have several areas its citizens could improve their health and overall well-being. Among the biggest problems are excessive drinking, high levels of air pollution, and a high rate of preventable hospitalizations. In addition, in the past two years, children in poverty has increased 11 percent from 18.5 percent to 20.5 percent of children.

The last time Illinois ranked this well was in 2007, when it also ranked 28th.